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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. key — for a lock
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. mark — a trace
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. tear — from crying
  8. key — in music
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. object — a thing
  11. tear — to rip
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. ball — a great time
  16. object — to protest
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. key — the most important part
  19. mark — a grade
  20. snap — to click
  21. ball — a dance
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. object — an aim
  24. tear — from crying

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com